Kate Middleton Was “Left in Tears” Before Meghan and Harry’s Wedding

Since Meghan Markle joined the royal family, the relationship between Meghan and her new sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, has been the subject of speculation in the press (particularly in the British press). When the two have been together in public, they have appeared at the very least cordial (and, at best, pleased to see each other!). However, they haven't been seen together very often—their only joint appearance (without their husbands) was at Wimbledon earlier this year. Kate was on maternity leave for the majority of this year, and the two women have shared a few of the same events since her return (such as Princess Eugenie's wedding or Prince Charles' birthday party), but we haven't learned much about their relationship.

That's about to change, thanks to the latest (and somewhat surprising!) news that Meghan and Prince Harry will be moving to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, rather than Kensington Palace, next door to Prince William and Kate. Although there are no doubt a variety of factors that went into Meghan and Harry's decision (the couple is expecting their first child this spring), some sources have speculated that there may be… friction between the two women that contributed to the change. (In the meantime, sources tell Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl that tensions between William and Harry are causing problems—but feuds between brothers don't seem to entice tabloid reporters as much.) The Daily Mail went all-in over the weekend, citing a source as saying, “Kate and Meghan are very different people.” They don't really get along,” she said of the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex's “unease.”

And it seems that this has now opened the floodgates for Kate and Meghan-related gossip; brace yourself, change your fascinators, etc. Today, The Daily Mail is running a report that is… indirectly connected to the Meghan-Kate feud. Kate was reportedly “left in tears” after Princess Charlotte's bridesmaid dress fitting for Meghan and Harry's wedding because she was “feeling quite emotional” at the time, according to the article. Kate was crying for no apparent cause (the Daily Mail reports that she had just given birth to Prince Louis at the time), and there's no reason to think it had anything to do with Meghan. But, of course, coming some days after the news of the Frogmore Cottage transfer, it isn't going to change how this story is actually being covered in the tabloids. (It's almost as if we're expected to picture Meghan storming into the dressing room and exclaiming, “That's what Charlotte's wearing?!!” before sauntering out.)

There's more to come! According to the Daily Mail, Princess Eugenie and her new husband, Jack Brooksbank, were “upset” that Harry and Meghan did not attend their wedding's evening reception in October. (They were scheduled to fly to Australia the following weekend to begin their 16-day tour.) Again, this has nothing to do with Meghan and Kate, but it's included in the same article to add to the feeling that something isn't quite right.

These kinds of waves in royal stories ebb and flow, and it'll be fun to see what we'll get next. Can the Palace arrange a public appearance for Kate and Meghan soon to show that all is fine? When the couples appear together, can we continue to perceive a gulf between them, with the two remaining somewhat separate? Would the Queen interfere in any way to keep the peace?! We're hoping for a Queen-Meghan-Kate trip over the holidays, which will no doubt send the press into a frenzy of excitement and, at the very least, change the story line.